Watching the shadowy figures flickering through the dense forest beyond the wide-open oak doors, Viktor called out with a laugh.
"Alright, no pushing—line up and come out one at a time to get to work."
As he spoke, he flicked his wand and began expanding the bedroom that now belonged to him.
The moment his words landed, a chorus of excited cheers erupted from the doorway.
Right on cue came a string of delighted meows, followed by Tom charging out with cartoon heart-eyes and mouth wide open in pure glee.
A white-and-orange pair of cat-like creatures shot after a flock of rainbow-coloured Puffskeins, the whole group tumbling into the room in a fluffy riot.
"Mary, Jenny—take the little Rainbows off to the side to play."
Next came a pair of enormous, gleaming golden antlers pushing through the doors.
They were so massive that even the enlarged double doors struggled to let the creature pass fully.
"Hey, hey, easy there, Ellie. Let me make the doors a bit bigger first."
Viktor waved his wand again. The tall oak doors stretched like warm taffy, doubling in size with a soft groan.
The antlers swayed, and then a towering grey-purple beast stepped gracefully out.
Its four legs were thick as tree stumps, its broad back slightly humped, every step radiating calm, unshakable power.
In its mouth it held a thick vine, and tied to the end of the vine was a crate almost as big as the creature itself—piled high with furniture and miscellaneous items.
On top of the crate, a swarm of Bowtruckles and Flower Sprites were either playing or actually helping organise things. It was hard to tell which.
"Oh, thank you so much, Ellie. Just set it down right here. Oh—and tell the little troublemakers that once everything's sorted, they can go play in the Forbidden Forest right away."
As he spoke, Viktor flicked his wand again, neatly sliding the massive crate of furniture to one side.
Ellie gave a low, contented rumble, accepted a small treat from Viktor's hand, then turned and lumbered back through the doors.
Once the Graphorn had retreated, three peals of laughter rang out. Three tiny girls dressed in crisp Western butler uniforms flew out of the doorway.
Viktor's eyes lit up the instant he saw them—each no taller than his calf, but perfectly proportioned and radiating professional energy.
"Ah! Little Gold, Little Silver, Little Bronze—hello! That uniform looks fantastic on you three!"
He couldn't help praising the neat, eye-catching butler outfits he'd had custom-made when he hired these three Snail Maidens (田螺姑娘) from China at considerable expense.
"Hello, Mr. Viktor!" ×3
The three little maids bowed politely in perfect unison.
Then their expectant gazes immediately locked onto the big crate beside him.
Meeting those bright, work-loving eyes, Viktor laughed and stepped aside.
"Alright, alright, my little housekeepers—you're in charge."
The moment he moved, the three maids let out joyful cheers and waved their tiny hands. Furniture and odds-and-ends began floating out of the crate in an orderly stream.
They didn't hesitate to direct the steady stream of creatures emerging from the doors—Diricawls, Mooncalves, Fire Crabs, and more—to pitch in.
Even Tom, who'd been shamelessly flirting with the two cat-like creatures, found himself roped in. Under the maids' firm orders he was soon wearing his favourite pink apron, scrubbing and dusting with paws and tail flying.
Viktor watched the tiny butlers orchestrate the chaos with calm efficiency and nodded in deep satisfaction.
Humans really are visual creatures. Compared to the wrinkly house-elves, these Chinese Snail Maidens were far more aesthetically pleasing to him.
And unlike house-elves with their sometimes uncomfortable level of selfless devotion, these three knew exactly how to balance work and boundaries.
Seeing all the little creatures working together under the maids' direction to turn the empty space into a proper home, Viktor rolled up his sleeves (figuratively) and joined in with his wand.
...
"Thanks, everyone—you've been a huge help!"
With a wave, he sent Little Gold, Little Silver, and Little Bronze back into the case.
Viktor looked around the now-transformed rest room—full of life and warmth—and gave a very satisfied nod.
Not bad at all. It finally felt like a proper place to live.
"Right—time to let the little darlings stretch their legs. Professor Kettleburn should be in the Forbidden Forest around now anyway. Might as well catch up on the teaching handover."
He stood and reached for the suitcase sitting in the centre of the rest room.
The moment Viktor moved toward the case, Tom—who'd been sprawled dramatically in his luxurious cat bed looking utterly exhausted—suddenly perked up. A lightbulb practically popped above his head with a boing.
When Viktor glanced over, Tom immediately let out an enormous, theatrical yawn and flopped back down, the picture of fatigue.
Viktor didn't say anything. Tom really had helped earlier, after all.
He just gave the cat a fond wave—"Rest up well"—then walked over to the window ledge.
Standing there, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized yellow gourd.
He poured a thread of magic into it. Wisps of cloud began drifting out.
A few breaths later, a flawless pure-white cloud hovered in front of him.
Viktor hopped on, settled comfortably cross-legged, and the cloud drifted lazily out the window toward the Forbidden Forest.
The instant Viktor's back disappeared, "exhausted" Tom sprang to life with a triumphant yowl.
He dove into his cat bed with a clatter of cartoon sound effects. When he emerged seconds later, he was decked out in full explorer gear—pith helmet, binoculars, tiny backpack, the works.
He'd been dying to explore the castle since they arrived. So many moving portraits, suits of armour, secret passages—there had to be endless fun waiting.
With Viktor gone, this place was his kingdom now.
Tom struck a pose in front of the mirror, adjusted his collar with smug satisfaction amid the mirror's flattering compliments, then kicked the office door open and tore out like a blue-grey tornado.
...
The pure-white cloud floated gently over the connected greenhouses.
Viktor spotted the orchard beside them—now several times larger than when he'd last seen it—and broke into a huge grin.
"Looks like the younger generation really took to the fruit grove. This thing's at least tripled in size."
He drifted past the orchard, floated by the towering Whomping Willow, then let the cloud carry him lazily into the thick, shadowy depths of the Forbidden Forest.
As he ventured deeper, unfamiliar beast roars and bird calls echoed around him from time to time.
Looking at the familiar woods he'd roamed as a student, Viktor got his bearings, tilted the gourd slightly, and the cloud turned to carry him onward.